TAIPEI TERMINAL RAIL STATION: Creating an Urban Gateway
by May Deanna Tsai
B.A., Wellesley College 1989
SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN
PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE
MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE AT THE
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
JUNE, 1991
© May Deanna Tsai 1991. All rights reserved.
The author hereby grants to M.I.T. permission to reproduce and
to distribute copies of this thesis document in whole or in part.
Signature of the Author
May Deanna Tsai
Department of Architecture
10 May 1991
Certified by
CWellington
Reiter
Lecturer, Department of Architecture
Thesis Sup4rvisor
Accepted by
ler
Jan W
re
Asso 'ate Professor of Arch
Chairman, Department Co
'ttee for Graduate
dents
JUN 0 1991
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ABSTRACT
TAIPEI TERMINAL RAIL STATION: Creating an Urban Gateway
by May Deanna Tsai
Submitted to the Department of Architecture on 10 May 1991, in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Architecture.
Access is a key issue in the design of railway stations. The
evolution of the train station typology, has resulted in many types
of stations based on the development of the stations' access. Since
rail travel on a larger scale is a system of access between cities, it is
important to look at the rail station as a key component to the
entire rail system.
Rail transportation is a primary means of entering the heart of
the city. Unlike other forms of transportation such as air travel,
the ability for the train to enter the center of the city and interact
with the city provides an opportunity to create a dialogue with
the people of the city and to create a gateway for the city.
The understanding of the station as a gateway and a civic
gathering place within the city, must be acknowledged through
the development of a reference plane, vertically as well as
horizontally. The vehicle for my explorations -- the Taipei North
Gate Rail Station -- hopefully will allow me to further examine
these issues, and propose a solution for the city's transportation
hub.
Thesis Supervisor: Wellington Reiter
Title: Lecturer, Department of Architecture
CONTENTS
Thesis Abstract
3
Acknowledgements
7
Railway station typology
9
17
Site
Critique of Existing Station
23
Program
29
Creating the Gateway:
Images and References
31
Design Ideas
41
Design Scheme
55
Drawings
81
Afterword
99
Addendum: Acoustical Considerations
103
Notes and Photo Credits
111
Bibliography
115
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For my parents.
Thank you for all your support and love.
I would like to thank the following people for
their help and inspirational critiques:
Dennis Pieprz, Carl Rosenberg, Duke Reiter,
Cameron Roberts, Jan Wampler, Gregory Nowell,
Craig Schwitter, Scott Pollack, Michael Kim, and
Luke Tan.
Thanks Mrs. Loren Stein for your friendship.
I'm glad we stuck together and had the
persistence to 'get it done on time'.
I would especially like to thank Ann Walters
for keeping things in perspective throughout
the whole process. Her undying support, music,
and friendship helped me to retain my sanity
throughout the semester.
Thanks again Loren and Lucas! We did it!
RAILWAY STATION TYPOLOGY
The railway station as a type has had very little, if any, other
functional precedents to rely upon previous to its introduction in
the early nineteenth century. The Industrial Revolution sparked
the development of a new system of transportation for the
masses. This new rail system was a development from the iron
tracks used in sixteenth century mining and also from the ancient
Assyrian military trackways. The concept was to use similar
systems to create transportation system for passengers, as well as,
freight. The station became an essential part of this new
transportation system, and had to reflect the impact of technology
on the new found mobility of the masses. 1
The railway station had its beginnings as a mere ticketing office to
service the rail. It was a variation of the highway toll houses.
The first stations were unpretentious, heavy masonry buildings.
No special buildings were developed for the passengers. Local
inns were used as departure points for coaches and cabs to the
railway station. Train sheds first appeared on the Crown Street
Station in Liverpool, England in the 1830's. The shed's main
function was to provide cover and protection for the passengers
going to and from the station and the trains. A few years later in
Lowell, Massachusetts, the train shed appeared in American
railway station architecture. An imitation of the classical style of
European stations, the station in Lowell was a small temple with
columns and a pediment. During this highly experimental stage
of station development, many different types were invented.
In 1846, Cesar Daly, editor of the Revue Ginirale de
l'Architecture, made an attempt to simplify the different station
types into categories. He claimed that there were only four such
categories:
(1) head type, arrival and departure in a single
building across the end of the tracks;
(2) two-sided or twin type, with arrival and departure
handled on opposite sides of the tracks;
(3) "'L" type, with arrival at the end of the tracks and
departure at one side or vice versa;
(4) one-sided combination type, with arrival and
departure on one side of the tracks. 2
A. EARLY TYPES OF STATION PLAN
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The engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the inventor of, yet,
another type that was noted for saving passengers from having to
cross tracks by switching trains into the station platform. This
however was only used in smaller train stations that had lower
volumes of passengers.
As railway traffic increased, certain train station types became
obsolete. People needed to be moved more quickly through to
their trains. Trains were more frequent and as more departures
and arrivals were set in a day, station organization created a
problem for designers. The two-sided and twin type station was
the preferred type because of its ability to load, unload, and move
the trains quickly. By the 1850's and 60's , the volume of train
travelers increased steadily. Convenience was a major factor for
the development of the train station. The train shed extended
itself to bring the passengers by omnibus directly under the cover
of the train shed. Henri Focillon once remarked that the train
shed typified the inventive spirit of the nineteenth century. This
view was held by contemporary critics. As one American critic
stated at the end of the century, railroad station architecture was
the characteristic architecture of the time.
The use of new materials and new methods of fabricating the
sheds, brought on a new expression. Structural innovations lead
to new forms. Iron truss construction was clearly dominant
toward the end of the nineteenth century. The engineers
competed to create the most inventive structures, and were
inspired to design increasingly wider and more daring spans.
The diversity of the different train-shed types is evident in the
examination of the first few decades of the station buildings.
Their experimental nature has defined different degrees of
protection and cover for the passengers. Originally constructed of
wood, many of the trusses in the early train-sheds deteriorated
rapidly because of the exposure to sulphurous train steam. To
avoid constant maintenance problems, metal trusses were widely
implemented. As the material change was taking place, a new
problem of expression came about as a result of the evolution of
the building type of the railway station.
B. EARLY TYPES OF TRAIN-SHED, WITH IDENTIFICATION
CROWNSTREET,LIVERPOOL 1830
VERSAILLES
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VI ENNA, 184
In the 1830's, the question was "which station had the right
look?", but as the building type of the station was rapidly
evolving, the argument was "a railroad station should look like a
railroad station". The functionalist critics argued about which
element of a train station should dominate. Should it be the
shed, the terminal, or perhaps a hotel? The way people looked at
railroads with wonder, astonishment, and awe has made the
buildings of the railways the symbol of the age. The railroad
station was to become the gate into the modern city. The
symbolism of the gateway was implemented in the station as the
"Grand Hall".
One of the stations in the United States that is a good example of
the use of the "Grand Hall" for the symbolic entry for the station
is New York City's Grand Central Station. The lack of the
visibility of the trains on the street level is overcome by the great
waiting hall that receives the travelers. The great entry hall
suggests some civic meeting grounds and recalls the spatial
qualities of the great British rail stations before one enters the
tunnels that lead to the subterranean train levels.
The "Grand Hall" in the British rail station was a symbol for the
great entry way to the trains. The symbolic meaning of the
gateway was transformed into a literal great archway in Euston
Station. Critic, William Cubitt said, "a good station could be built
at King's Cross for less than the cost of the ornamental archway
[sic] at Euston Square." This commentary directed to architect
Philip Hardwick's design of a classical pediment and column
faqade, is an example of the literal transformation of the
"gateway" and monumentality of the entry into the city. It
however seems quite strange to use an ancient symbolic gesture
to relate to a modern technological innovation such as the
railway. It seems the form of the gateway was simply borrowed
from the classical reference, and does not reflect in any way the
materials or technology of that time period.
When Euston Station was built, it was regarded as a spectacle not
as a railway station. The most violent attacks came from A.W.N.
Pugin. Pugin said:
The architects have evidently considered it an
opportunity for showing off what they could do
instead of carrying out what was required. Hence,
the colossal Grecian portico or gateway, 100 feet high
[sic] for the cabs to drive through, and set down a
few feet further, at the 14-inch brick wall and sashwindow booking office. This piece of
Brobdignaggian absurdity must have cost the
company a sum which would have built a first-rate
station, replete with convenience, and which would
have been really grand from its simplicity. 3
Some people questioned whether any traditional motives could
be appropriately associated with the railway. There was no
connection to the application of columned porticoes to the
purpose of the railways. This problem of expression was
examined from different viewpoints by the French and English.
The French claimed that the terminals had a distinctive
architecture of its own. To the French, the principal fagade was a
monumental clock, as well as, a great arch and pediment
expressing the great roof of the train-shed. The English on-theother-hand, located a different function at the head of the tracks
as a fagade element. This typically was a hotel with a great entry
hall. These different attitudes towards the symbolic meaning of
the train station and its function reflect the changing typology of
the railway station. The transformation of the train station into
more than a ticketing office has changed its organization of
spaces, as well as its structure.
The most original and efficient part of railroad station
architecture was the train-shed. The materials remained heavy,
and the massive masonry foundations were used until the
twentieth century when concrete,glass and metal were gaining
acceptance. The expression of the train station in later years was
still clinging on to the memory of the past. What role does the
precedence of the old train stations have with the design of more
modern stations--stations of our time? Do we build on the
symbolic meaning and emotions that train stations have always
evoked? Or do we examine the new meaning of rail travel, the
new functions, the new technology and ideas?
The literal "gateway" ideas stem from the idea that the train is to
be celebrated and recognised for what it really is - a civic meeting
grounds. Although the past stations such as Euston Station were
too literal in their design of the gateway, the 'gate' to the trains
should exist, while still informing the people of the technology of
the railway system as an important means of transportation for
the city.
SITE:
Existing Site Conditions
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The Taipei Terminal Rail Station is a major stop for the island
train system. The railway is still a major transportation route to
the other cities on the island, since rail travel is significantly
cheaper than air travel and much more comfortable and
expedient than travel by bus.
Originally placed at what was once the North gate into the old city
of Taipei, the railway station is a central point of gathering for
travelers on the island. It is also an integral part of the master
plan designed by Sasaki Associates in Watertown, MA, along with
Haigo Shen Associates in Taipei, Taiwan. This master plan is
integrated with a subway system and bus system and provides
retail, offices, and a city garden park. The development is a
central hub to the transportation system of the entire island.
The creation of a more ideal gateway into the city of Taipei is the
agenda of my thesis exploration. This gateway must inform the
people of the technological advances and ideas of the future, that
are so important to the economics of the country. While
examining the possible design strategies, we must also keep in
mind that the Chinese culture is very different than anything one
might imagine in the Western world. Iconography and
symbolism is an important means that the Taiwanese use to
communicate ideas of public spaces and civic meeting areas.
CRITIQUE OF EXISTING STATION
The existing train terminal building currently houses office and
retail functions in addition to the large interior courtyard that
serves as the ticketing/waiting area.
Designed by a collaboration of Taiwanese architects (lead by Mr.
C.K. Chen), this building was to 'embody the real Chinese spirit'.
This was attempted by creating a building that was based on
experiential spaces, like those which are common to traditional
Chinese architecture. The large interior courtyard serves as the
main space with the surrounding spaces programmed as retail
and office space. The completely symmetrical building
incorporates several Chinese architectural elements such as
screened facades and a Chinese sloping roof. The station is a focal
point of the entire terminal site and represents an important
element within the city.
The courtyard idea stems from the play of solid and void--the yin
and yang of Chinese basic thought. The interior courtyard is the
most important space and is protected by the four 'building' walls.
An interview with Mr. Chen revealed his intentions of creating
an experiential architecture to mark time. He tried to create an
architecture to give people many surprises, thus, reducing the
formality of the building. The building is a cluster of simply
designed buildings that form a courtyard, and the roof acts as a
sunshade to the courtyard. His many references to Chinese
palaces, Tonghai University, and traditional Chinese architecture
gives some basis for his design for the existing station.
V.
-~
COURTYARD SCHEME
The choice of the site of the rail station is reasonable because of its
centralized location within the city, but issues that address the
relationship between the rail station and the surrounding site are
ignored. With the four entrances to the building being identical,
it is odd to find one entrance takes you to an elevated highway,
while the others lead to a park, a busy street and a pick-up/dropoff area. These site conditions should have some effect on the
form of the building. Another good example of the lack of a
connection with the site is the entrance to the trains. The
escalators that lead down to the mezzanine level, and eventually
to the trains (3 floors below grade), are positioned on the
perimeter of the great interior courtyard underneath the retail
and office blocks. It seems that the trains are not an important
part of the station itself. There is no celebration of the train as it
enters the city and the escalators are, in fact, the same escalators
that lead upward to the mall-like retail rings that make up the
upper levels of the station building.
The intentions of the architects to reduce the formality of the
building is contradicted by the actual form of the station. The biaxial symmetry enhances the formal quality of the station. The
important central "void" space does not appear to be the most
obvious element in the station. The building mass, seems to
overwhelm every other part of the station. The surprise one gets
from the architecture is that the "grand" building is merely a
shopping mall. Even though the existing station appears to be a
grand landmark within the fabric of the city, in reality, it is a
shell--void of all meaning. The "void" space, or inner courtyard,
is not important--it is one large neutral zone that lacks definition.
This lack of definition is evident in the zones between the retail
and offices above and the trains below. The lack of any vertical
connection and integration makes the "grand" space of the rail
station very uninviting and lifeless.
The importance of vertical layering of uses in the development of
the programs of many buildings in Taipei is directly related to
high density building and the lack of actual buildable/developable
land. The program for the station with offices and retail suggests
integration of all use spaces, but it is not clearly evident just as the
entrance to rail is unclear. The important interior courtyard area
("void" space) becomes a grey area where people enter and
wonder 'what is this place?' There is a lack of places to sit and
wait for people to mysteriously pop out of any of the eight
escalators that lead to the below grade train mezzanine. One
might venture below to the train mezzanine to find a corridor
and a set of turnstyles--entrance to yet another bank of 'down'
escalators, or one might set forth to the second level to find
vendors of food and places to sit and eat, balconies to lean against
and watch all the confused travelers looking for some clue for
entry to the trains. The large central volume of negative space
does not interact with the mall above, nor does it convey the
feeling that it could support the traffic of travelers greater that of
New York's Grand Central Station. The escalators are not grand
"So I kept walking up this hill. I saw two
pagodas, one on each side of the street, as
though they were the entrance to a great
Buddha temple. But when I looked
carefully, I saw the pagoda was really just a
building topped with stacks of tile roof, no
walls, nothing else under its head. I was
surprised how they tried to make everything
look like an old imperial city or an
emperor's tomb. But if you looked on either
side of these pretend-pagodas, you could
see the streets became narrow and
crowded, dark, and dirty. I thought to
myself, why did they choose only the worst
Chinese parts for the inside? Why didn't
they build gardens and ponds instead? Oh,
here and there was the look of a famotis
ancient cave or a Chinese opera. But inside
it was always the same cheap stuff."
---The Joy Luck Club, (p. 297) Amy Tan, 1989
stairways to the real waiting place above, nor is it a grand entrance
for the city.
Since most of the program of the entire Taipei Terminal site
integrates the retail and office functions, the need for more retail
and offices in the station is questionable. Perhaps the functions
can be compressed into a beacon tower to announce the station's
location within the city. The connection of the station to the city
also speaks of time and the future. Many of the old rail stations
conveyed an element of time by the use of a clock tower. It was
understood that the train was a step towards newer technology
and the future. Although air travel has surpassed the train as a
mode of transportation for travel throughout the world, the train
has remained a major means of travel on the island of Taiwan.
The image of the City of Taipei is important to understand when
one arrives in the city. The intense development of technology of
the City of Taipei and the importance of the railroad should be
reflected in the design of the station.
PROGRAM
Scope of Project
The ultimate intention of this project is to create a more ideal
"Gate" into the City of Taipei. The program compresses existing
retail and office space into a beacon tower while the station opens
below to the trains to create a visual link between the trains and
the city. By opening up the ground area of the existing station,
the exhaust problems are alleviated by natural venting and the
unsightly vents are reduced in size and number allowing for less
complications in other land developments.
Program:
65,000 sq. ft.
5,000 sq. ft.
1,000 sq. ft.
20,000 sq. ft.
55,000 sq. ft.
6,000 sq. m.
400 sq. m.
100 sq. m.
2,000 sq. m.
5,000 sq. m.
Tower (retail + office)
16,000 sq. ft.
max. tower total
each level
(35-40 levels)
640,000 sq. ft.
Total area of
of Station
Station
ft.
786,000 sq.
786,000 sq. ft
1,500 sq. m.
each level
(35-40 levels)
60,000 sq. m.
73,000 sq. m.
Waiting/Reception area
Ticketing booths
Information desk
Support space
Train mezzanines
73,000 sq. m.
"Picture yourself on a train in a station
with plasticine porters with looking glass ties.
Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile,
the girl with kaliedoscope eyes..."
--
The Beatles', Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
(words and music by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, 1967)
CREATING THE GATEWAY
IDEAS/REFERENCES:
the echoes of the great hall
it makes us feel so small
and vulnerable,
but protected by the massive walls
here we wait and watch,
maybe to catch a glimpse
of family and friends
among the busy travelers
commuters, luggage
were just part of a whole
the waiting hall
the sounds of this great hall
this place is special
i can feel it by the volume
by the announcer's call
so many people
waiting, walking around
disappearing into the tunnels
the entrances to the underground
the gateway to other worlds.
where is that entrance?
where does it go?
i can feel the trains' vibration
but where did the trains go?
it's so clear to me
where i have to be
to catch the train
on platform No. 3
from the mezzanine i can spy
the person i was waiting for
over there,
with the stare
who waits in anticipation
...
.
I
the gentle arch held
in by the buttress walls
barely arching,
adding volume
to the space below
the strong bar buildings
doing their work
holding the thrust
clearing the span below
DESIGN IDEAS:
Site Map of Axis Relationships:
The excavation of the trains
extends itself to be in line with the
axis of the old walled city grid.
This sight line extends itself along
Kung Yuan Road past Taipei New Park
to terminate with the old South gate
of the old city of Taipei.
This is perpendicular to the sight line
created between the President's Palace
and the East gate of the old walled city.
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The First Impressions:
The tower and vault hovering above
the excavated tracks.
Vertical and horizontal components to relate
to the excavation creating a
continual visual connection to the trains.
issue:
What is the relationship between the tower and vault?
The Separation of Function and Use:
The massing of different use elements;
the tower,
the station,
the walkway as a connector
the third element, the hinge
issue:
What is the relationship between the tower and vault?
The Development of the Masts and
"Bar" Building Extension from Tower:
The concept was to create a relationship
between the tower and the vault.
By suspending the arc roof panels by a mast
at one end, and supporting the other
end on the massive elevator and
stair cores of the bar building, the bar building
would act as a buttress for the uneven load
created by the sensitivity to the direction
of the sun and need for the light to penetrate
to the depths of the train tracks below.
The Bar Building:
The bar building is suspended by
structural exterior columns and the
massive elevator and stair cores.
This allows people to observe the station
from the north underneath the bar building.
Since the load of the roof is uneven,
more of the load needs to be supported
by the mass of the bar building and the shear
walls within the building.
Programmatic link:
The supporting bar building is programmed
for the support offices for the rail station.
48
FM
Masts and Cable Stays:
The concept behind the masts was
an attempt to create a second tall element
to reinforce the idea of the gateway.
The masts and cable stays purpose is to hold
and balance the roofs of the pedestrian walk
with the roof of the station.
Lower Roof at Main Entrance:
The idea of the lower roof at the park entrance
to the station waiting area was to heighten
the experience of the grand vaulted space.
Facade Element:
For the traffic on Chung Hsiao West Road,
the masts create a symbolic gateway
with a modern expression of the traditional
Chinese gate.
It announces the station as a civic grounds
and creates an important symbol for the area.
DESIGN SCHEME:
Site Context with Roof Plan
Bird's-eyeView (with roof removed):
The waiting and ticketing area hovers over
the excavated rail tracks allowing constant
visual reference to the trains three stories below.
The gentle curve of the south side openings
recalls the forms from the park to the west,
leading one through the station, to pass
underneath the tower and on to the museum.
A piece of the park makes its way through
to the entrance, where the information booth
guides the travelers through the station.
Approaching the Trains:
There are many ways to
approach the tracks below.
The most obvious is the
skylit elevator and stair cores
that support the roof trusses.
The box trusses casting shadows
on the floor, leading the way
to the trains below.
The two main outdoor ticketing buildings
also house cafe and resting areas.
These buildings guide the travelers
into the volume of the station.
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The Box Trusses:
The four open box trusses are glazed above
to create a skylight effect to light the path
to the elevator cores that hold up the roof.
From this elevation, we can cross through
from the bus station and street
onto the bridges that takes us over the
trains below, onto the station's waiting area.
The Masts of the Past--they are not lost:
The extensions of the colossal columns that
support the roof are an important part of
the image of the station as a gateway.
The feeling of the trains and travelers
being able to detect at all times the
movement between two obvious objects
that form the gateway, is created between
the large sculptural columns and
the mass of the bar building and tower.
The Screen Enclosure:
The screens protect the station patrons
from the occasional bursts of nature.
The screen is hung from the roof structure
and hovers over the waiting platform.
Since the rail tracks are open to
the weather, fresh air is freely circulated
between the station and the outdoors.
The screen-like enclosure of the
main entrance defines the area
between outdoor and indoor, but
does not restrict movement
between the two.
The open truss above the entrance
acts as a partial cover--that gray area
between outdoor and indoor.
The courtyard created by the ticketing
buildings and the enclosure becomes
an extension of the park from the west.
DRAWINGS:
Site Plan at Roof
Site Plan at Ground Level
Mezzanine Plan over Tracks
elevator and stair cores
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Plan at Waiting/Ground Level
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AFTERWORD:
100
This is my vision for the Taipei Terminal Rail Station.
Unfortunately, the existing station was constructed just
last year and it will be another 10 to 20 years until
anyone even thinks of changing anything.
Eventhough the rail system in the United States has
seen better days, the importance of the rail system in
many countries throughout Europe and Asia as a local
form of transportation makes the idea of the station as
a "gateway" even more important to the image of a
city.
101
102
ADDENDUM:
acoustical considerations
The traditional great halls of railway stations serve as symbols of
entering a city--a gateway to the city. These large voluminous,
highly reverberant spaces are often filled with the noise of the
travelers, the announcements of train arrivals and departures,
and not to forget, the trains themselves. We have grown
accustomed to the noise level of this waiting area and great hall.
We have come to accept the fact that we will not be able to hear
many conversations, even the ones close to us without raising
our voices. We expect not to be able to hear the announcement of
arrival, or worse, the departure of a train. Instead, we ask the
person sitting next to us, "was that the call for the train to New
York?"
There are certain feelings that the large, reverberant, live space
invokes. The train station is a civic meeting grounds. There is a
special quality about the station and the reverberant sound
enhances the quality of being in a large communal meeting space.
Although the space is highly reverberant, one would not expect
the space to be just the opposite--that is, completely dead.
Combining the trains and waiting/reception area by
encompassing both functions under one large roof structure can
create a variety of exciting acoustical conditions. It can also
enhance the spatial qualities of the different architectural spaces
as one moves through the station. As an unconventional type of
station, the open spaces that allow the uninterrupted observation
of the trains for the various waiting spaces and mezzanine
103
platforms also allows the noise from the trains to resonate
through the station. As a result, many acoustical considerations
must be examined to enhance such things as speech intelligibility,
as well as the overall 'feeling' of the station.
The potential noise and vibrational isolation problems of a train
station is increased by the integration of the various public spaces
and the actual train area. In such an open system, the noise and
vibration is allowed to propagate through the structure. Isolation
of the path of the sound and vibration is essential to reducing
unwanted vibration of the structure due to the engines of the
trains, as well as reducing the sound source, namely the wheel to
rail interaction of the trains.
diagram of vibration/sound path
104
Isolation of the path of the sound and vibration is achieved by
introducing resilient materials to the structure of the train
station. Materials such as metal springs and mesh pads of rubber,
cork, and felt are often used for the common isolation problems
of mechanical rooms and heavy machinery in buildings, but to
isolate the structure of the colossal columns that carry the
waiting/reception level of the train station, huge neoprene pads
used as 'base isolators' can be an effective means to isolate the
energy. By merely reducing the vibration, the psychological
effects of the noise level of the station's waiting area is reduced. If
one cannot feel the strong vibrations of the trains, the noise will
seem further away. Yet another means to reduce the noise level
in the 'open' rail station is to examine the possibility of isolating
the track bed. Much of the source of the noise and vibration in
the station stems from the interaction between the rails and the
train wheels. Newer technology of reducing the rail to wheel
interaction noise has allowed for quieter trains. The governing
principle behind reducing the noise and vibration caused by the
rail to wheel interaction is similar to the isolation of the
structural system. Insertion of hydraulic shock absorbers placed
in parallel with the normally fitted carriage spring, as well as the
mechanical isolation of the tire rim from the axle of the train
wheel can greatly reduce the noise in almost 2-3dB(A). 4
Some other solutions for the noise and vibration created by the
rail to wheel interaction are found in forms such as shrouds or
skirts fitted over the wheels (used by the Japanese National
Railways), use of continuous welded rails as found by Bender and
Heckl that has been proven to reduce the noise level by 8 dB, to
the use of pneumatic tyres and elastomeric coatings on both tyre
and rail heads. The drawbacks mostly consist of lower load
carrying capacities, guiding-mechanism requirements, and the
higher cost and safety issues. With the respect to the different
track systems, the difference between the conventional sleeper
attached to ballast system and the slab track system is still
questionable with regards to a noticeable noise reduction. 5
Elastomeric damping blocks
Tread
(a) SAB
Rubber
Principle of
SAB wheel
Elastomeric damping material
Tread
(b) 8LH
Steel
constraining ring
Steel
Rubber
Diagram of
Acousta Flex
wheel
Principle of Bochum wheel
With all this in mind, other major acoustic issues should also be
examined. The shape of the roof structure predictably will not
cause too much noticeable focusing because of the arc's relatively
Fig.6.7 Designs
foracoustic
railwheels
105
arc shape of truss:
focusing possible, but not a
factor due to the shallowness
of the arc.
Lperforated metal finish
batting (absorption)
106
flat shape. Although the arc does not cause extreme focusing, it is
reasonable to use materials that can ensure the acoustic quality of
the main space, as well as acoustic treatment of the lower
mezzanines where we can expect to use more absorption.
Materials such as perforated metals and acoustic batting concealed
behind the metal panels can customize the reverberation times
for the different spaces. In general, the activity noise coupled
with the residual train noise, needs to be controlled especially in
the lower mezzanine areas where people are closer to the trains,
and the sound waves have a better chance of reflecting on the
surfaces which are closer and more compact (15-30 feet between
floors). In the lower mezzanines, the acoustic treatment should
provide more absorption to make the space more 'dead'. This
could be accomplished by using acoustical tiles or sculpting the
perforated metal to retain the 'high-tech' quality of the station in
it's detail while concealing the acoustical batting behind the metal
panels.
The acoustic treatment in the main waiting/reception area is
much different. Since the height of the roof structure is nearly
100 feet high, the sound waves will be diffuse--not un-like being
outdoors. Harder surfaces with less absorption can be used to
enhance the reverberation time of the 'great entry hall', with
banners or other hanging panels providing additional absorption
in areas that require more speech intelligibility. The use of
glazing in parts of the roof structure will not greatly effect the
reverberation of the main waiting area, but it will have positive
effects such as allowing light into the space. The large threedimensional trusses that support the roof structure will not have
an overall effect on the noise quality, but can prove to be helpful
to the suspension of the sound system for the public address
system.
The precise deployment of the sound system is crucial to speech
intelligibility, namely the announcements of departures and
arrivals of the trains, as well as the type of speaker used and the
type of system used. An 'automatic gain' controlled system to
override the sound of an incoming train could prove to eliminate
most of the speech intelligibility problems commonly found in
rail stations by monitoring the general noise level of the space,
and increasing the amplification of the public address system
accordingly. The speakers in the main waiting space would be
like those found in larger sports arenas and would be less
frequent. In the lower mezzanines, where the floor to ceiling
height ranges between 15-30 feet, the speakers would be more
frequent and smaller in size. The following plan layouts show
possible sound system locations in different regions of the station.
107
110
NOTES:
1 Carroll L. V. Meeks, The Railroad Station (New Haven:
Yale University Press, 1956), p. ix.
2 Meeks, p. 30.
3 A. W. N. Pugin, An Apology for the Revival of Christian
Architecutre in England (London, 1843), p. 11, quoted in Meeks,
p. 41.
4 David C. Hothersall and Richard J. Salter, Transport and
the Environment (London: Crosby Lockwood Staples, 1977),
p. 194.
5 Hothersall and Salter, p. 194.
PHOTO CREDITS:
page 1. Train wreck Paris 22 October 1895, Editions Gendre
postcards, Paris.
page 7. Le Temps des Gares. p. 95, fig. 7.
page 8. Copenhagen Station. Le Temps des Gares, p. XXIV, fig. 1.
111
page 9. (top) Bewdley, Worcestershire, tollhouse, 1801. The
Railroad Station fig. 3.
page 9. (bottom) Lowell, Mass., Boston and Lowell Railroad "Car
House," 1835. The Railroad Station fig. 6.
page 10. Early Types of Station Plan. The Railroad Station p. 30,
Text Fig. A.
page 11. Early Types of Train-shed, with identification. The
Railroad Station. p. 37, Text Fig. B.
page 12. New York, Second Grand Central Station, 1903-13. The
Railroad Station. fig. 170.
page 13. London, Euston Station, Faqade, 1835-39. The Railroad
Station fig. 17.
page 14. (top) Le Temps des Gares, p. 85, fig. 3.
page 14. (bottom) London, St. Pancras Station. The Railroad
Station, fig. 109.
page 18. Taipei Terminal Master Plan. Sasaki Associates,
Watertown, MA.
112
page 19. Taipei Terminal Master Plan. Sasaki Associates,
Watertown, MA.
page 20. Taipei Terminal Master Plan. Sasaki Associates,
Watertown, MA.
page 24. Taipei Terminal Master Plan. Sasaki Associates,
Watertown, MA.
page 29. Toronto. Le Temps des Gares, p. 45, fig. 9.
page 30. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, (The Beatles
compact disc sleeve), EMI Records, Ltd., p. 10-11.
page 33. (left) New York, Grand Central Station. Le Temps des
Gares p. 35, fig. 3.
page 33. (right) London, Euston Station, "Grand Hall." The
Railroad Station. fig. 41.
page 35. New York, Second Grand Central Station (sectional
view). The Railroad Station. fig. 142.
page 37. (left) New York, Pennslyvania Station, 1906. Le Temps
des Gares, p. 40.
113
page 37. (right) Paris, d'Orsay Station. Le Temps des Gares p. 126,
fig. 1.
page 39. London, J. Sainsbury Market, Grimshaw Associates.
Architectural Review, October 1989, p. 36.
page 56-7. Taipei Terminal Master Plan. Sasaki Associates,
Watertown, MA.
page 105. Transport and the Environment p. 193, fig. 6.7.
all other photos by May D. Tsai
114
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118
one last question...
Loren and May, you've just
finished your master's thesis,
what are you going to do now?
Loren: "I'm goin' to Disney World!"
May: "I'm goin' to Austin, Texas
to meet Eric Johnson!"
119